An Exclusive Interview with Kate Bailey, Senior Curator of Theatre and Performance at the V&A

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Earlier this week it was announced the V&A had acquired David Bowie’s vast archive and it will be made available to the public through the creation of The David Bowie Centre for the Study of Performing Arts, which will open in Stratford’s Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park, in London, 2025.

Above, external render view of the new V&A East Museum at Stratford Waterfront.

We had a quick chat with Kate Bailey, Senior Curator of Theatre and Performance at the V&A..

How will this differ from the original David Bowie is exhibition?

The David Bowie Archive will form the focal point of the new David Bowie Centre for the Study of Performing Arts, which will open at the V&A East Storehouse in east London in 2025. Here, set alongside the breadth of the V&A’s world-class collections of art, design and performance, fans, schoolchildren, researchers and more, will be able to get up-close and gain new insights into Bowie’s creative process like never before.

Bowie was passionate about art and culture within and beyond his own sphere of performance and his explorations spanned diverse creative practices, global cultures, and histories.  The Centre will include research and study spaces alongside changing displays, bringing Bowie’s work and archive into dialogue with the V&A’s richly varied international collections of art, design and performance.

We’ll be announcing further info on the experience and public programme in due course.

How long has this been being planned?

The V&A’s acquisition of the David Bowie Archive has been years in the making.

Is there a confirmed opening day?

The David Bowie Centre for the Study of Performing Arts opens in 2025. Further info on the experience and public programme will be revealed in due course.

Above, Internal render view of the central public collection hall in new V&A East Storehouse.

Will this be permanent?

Yes – The David Bowie Centre for the Study of Performing Arts is a permanent home for the David Bowie Archive.

What is the current status of the search for Bowie’s Mr. Fish dress for the cover of The Man Who Sold The World?

I believe it’s the Museum of London who are looking for Bowie’s Mr Fish dress – unsure how their public call-out has gone.

**If anyone has any information about it’s whereabouts please email fashioncity@museumoflondon.org.uk between now and March 1, 2023.**

Can we expect new vinyl releases associated with the permanent exhibition?

That would be a question you’d need to ask Warner/the Estate, as not something we’d be privy to.

With such an extensive catalogue of original paintings, drawings and artefacts, what’s the curation process like in order to pick what will go on display?

It’s early days. Our current priority is getting the David Bowie archive to the UK – details about what will be on show will be revealed in due course. We can’t wait for people to start accessing it from 2025!

Will eras that didn’t get as much coverage during the original run of Bowie Is become a bit more prominent in this permanent installation?

While it’s too early to go into specifics, the changing displays in the David Bowie Centre for the Study of Performing Arts, and wider public events and programmes at V&A East Storehouse, will give us opportunities to explore different elements of Bowie’s archive, his creative processes, life and career. We’re also really excited to put Bowie’s work in dialogue with objects from the V&A’s collections of art, design and performance.

Many thanks to Kate and Laura Mitchell at the V&A.

Interview by Nick Vernon & Francisco Beristain, exclusively for David Bowie News. © 2023.

Edited by Nick Vernon.

Images © V&A/The David Bowie Archive.